Attorney-general of the federation (AGF) and minister of justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has said criticisms by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over the federal government’s resolution of the OPL 245 conflict are fueled by “self-serving interests” rather than patriotism or objective leaning.
On March 5, the presidency disclosed the successful conclusion of a settlement agreement between the federal government, Eni, and Nigerian Agip Exploration Limited (NAEL).
The minister of Justice had described the development as a milestone in repositioning Nigeria’s economic landscape.
But, Atiku, in a statement, criticised the federal government’s handling of the OPL 245 dispute, describing the stated resolution as “nothing more than political theatrics”, insisting that “the matter is far from resolved” as it remains subject to ongoing legal proceedings.
He further alleged that major stakeholders were prevented from the process, warning that “a government that sidelines critical stakeholders, disregards pending judicial processes, and proceeds to celebrate a disputed agreement demonstrates not strength, but recklessness.”
Reacting to Atiku’s critique in a statement issued on Wednesday, Fagbemi informed that the former vice president’s stance misrepresented what he described as a “landmark achievement” by the current administration in resolving a dispute that has spanned nearly three decades.
He stated that the opposition to the deal was “both revealing and deeply concerning”, adding that “the persistence of these criticisms, despite clear legal, commercial, and national interest considerations, strongly suggests that they are driven not by patriotism or objective reasoning, but by undisclosed and self-serving interests”.
Fagbemi added that those advancing such claims are attempting to frustrate a lawful resolution, warning that “their posture is not only misleading but ultimately inimical to the collective interest, as it seeks to deny over 200 million Nigerians the economic and developmental benefits of a critical national asset”.
He stated that the resolution followed years of litigation arising from the allocation of OPL 245, which was originally awarded to Malabu Oil and Gas Limited in 1998, revoked in 2001, and later reassigned to Shell Nigeria Ultra-Deep Limited in 2002 — developments that triggered prolonged disputes and investigations.
He said the disputes were addressed through the 2011 resolution agreement involving the federal government, Malabu, Shell, and Eni entities, under which Malabu relinquished its claims to the oil block for consideration, while the block was reallocated to Shell and its partners.
The AGF informed that the transaction and related actions went through “rigorous judicial scrutiny” across multiple jurisdictions, including the United States, the United Kingdom (UK), and Italy, adding that no wrongdoing was established against the companies involved.
“The arbitration was not concerned with questions of ownership of Malabu or internal disputes within the company. Rather, it focused strictly on whether Nigeria had wrongfully delayed or refused the conversion of OPL 245 into an OML and whether such actions breached its treaty obligations to foreign investors,” the AGF noted.
“At no point did the individuals now laying claim to interests in Malabu initiate proceedings in that forum, nor did they possess a legal basis to intervene in a dispute centred on sovereign obligations and licensing decisions.”
Fagbemi said the resolution would open up the economic potential of the oil block, projected to contribute about 150,000 barrels per day to Nigeria’s production capacity, with associated gas export benefits linked to Nigeria’s liquefied natural gas (LNG).
